Proposed overlay district standards unveiled at meeting

Maria Hines, senior planner with the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, speaks at a public meeting about the proposed Chelsea overlay district on Sept. 18.

In the next couple of months, a new ordinance creating an overlay district in Chelsea could impact new businesses along U.S. 280.

The draft of proposed design standards and guidelines was unveiled at a public meeting at Chelsea City Hall on Sept. 18, with three members of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) present to address community members.

“Aesthetics are an investment,” said Samuel Parsons, transportation planner with RPCGB.

An overlay district is a set of land development standards which are placed over existing base zoning. The regulations apply to commercial properties only. Residential properties are not affected.

A checklist will be provided to developers who apply for building permits for new development or renovation, should the ordinance be passed. The guidelines must first go before the city’s planning and zoning commission in October before possibly being passed by the City Council in November. In the meantime, residents can submit comments online at planchelsea.com and edits can be made.

Guidelines are intended to create a more uniform, more aesthetically-pleasing U.S. 280 corridor in Chelsea, so drivers coming into the city know they’ve arrived in Chelsea, planners said.

A copy of the proposal is also available at planchelsea.com. The guidelines would apply to new development, or to current properties that undergo certain types of renovation. If renovation will cause the property’s square footage or assessed value to increase by more than 50 percent, all guidelines will apply. If renovations will cause square footage or value to increase 25 percent to 50 percent more than current values, the following standards apply: parking, screening, fence and wall standards, and planting standards. No guidelines will apply if the renovations cause square footage or assessed value to increase by less than 25 percent.

Proposed standards include mandating the maximum setback lines (the distance from the road to the store) to be 80 feet, with big box retail excluded from that rule. Building heights would be limited to 50 feet, with a minimum first-floor height of 12 feet. Glazing, or the use of glass to allow residents to see inside the business, would also be mandated, with the percentage of glass dictated by store type.

As for architectural design, the guidelines call for builders to “avoid monotonous building materials and uninterrupted lines.”

Materials including metal, unpainted concrete, plywood and plastics would be prohibited, and a minimum of three materials used on buildings.

Cross access between businesses, keeping those going from one store to the other from having to re-enter U.S. 280, would also be required unless deemed unfeasible by the city engineer, or not allowed due to conflicts between adjacent businesses.

Other listed guidelines include requiring trash and loading docks to be screened and separated from public view, and that lighting would adhere to height regulations with certain types of lighting prohibited.

Resident Jim Leslie said he believes there’s too much regulation being proposed.

“I build houses for a living, and I know what they’re going to create when they start all that stuff,” Leslie said. “You’ll have so many regulations, you’ll never be able to get a permit. … You let these governments get involved and that’s what happens.”

Leslie said the district wouldn’t address the buildings and businesses that are already unsightly.

James Daniels, another Chelsea resident, said he likes the plan.

“I thought it was great,” Daniels said. “These are just baseline standards.”

Daniels said with so many people already attracted to the booming town, it’s important to stay ahead of growth so the city doesn’t become another town people drive through on their way somewhere else.

Lindsay Puckett, principal planner with RPCGB, said they’ve helped with multiple overlay districts in the area, and in places that have established such districts, including Alabaster, Hoover, Shelby County and Jefferson County, the regulations haven’t had a negative effect on development. Puckett said as long as regulations are clear, there isn’t a problem.